On June 6, 2022, the JPO announced the reduction and exemption of "examination fees" and "patent fees (1-10 years)" for small and medium-sized enterprises based on the "Law Partially Amending the Unfair Competition Prevention Law, etc.".

The new exemption system eliminates the need to submit an application form and certification documents and consolidates applications to the JPO.
Note, however, that cases for which a request for examination was filed before March 31, 2019, will be based on the previously existing exemption system.

Japan Patent Office
https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/process/tesuryo/genmen/genmen20190401/index.html